The present invention relates to the field of games and puzzles. More particularly, the invention relates to puzzles composed of multiple pieces that are to be assembled to form predefined shapes.
There are many puzzles available that require a particular order of assembly to achieve completion of the puzzle. Some require an arrangement of pre-connected pieces in a particular order. Colors or pictures may be interposed on certain surfaces of the puzzles. Many puzzles have been available for years and solutions are well known. The entertainment and education provided by these puzzles diminishes as they are solved by an individual on multiple occasions. Memorization of solutions diminishes the challenge of the puzzle. Dedicated puzzle solvers require new challenges to their intellectual prowess. Therefore there is a need for inventive puzzles that provides new challenges and entertainment for the puzzle solving public. Pentomino and polyomino puzzles are known. A pentomino puzzle comprising a rectangular board or holder and flat pieces is disclosed in both the 1959 U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,190 to Pestieau and the 1988 U.S. Pat. No. D298,149 to Hermans, et al. The 1999 U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,388 to Wood, et al describes an eight by eight square puzzle frame for holding colored cubic pentomino and tetromino pieces in a chess or checkerboard type array. The 1976 U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,749 to Wadsworth describes a board containing four rectangular playing areas, with each area comprising ninety square units, to be used with eighteen flat pentominos. A puzzle comprising a base and a mixture of flat tri, tetra, hexa, and hepta-polyomino pieces is described in the 2003 U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,453. Cheng describes a puzzle in the 2001 U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,919, where the puzzle comprises a base with round indentations and mono, tri tetra, penta, and hexa-omino puzzle pieces made from spheres instead of cubes. Another patent to Cheng, the 2004 U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,285, describes using a frame to hold polyomino puzzle pieces in a vertical configuration, one cube in thickness.
The puzzles in the patents cited above are assembled to form simple, flat square or flat rectangular shapes. Polyominos may be constructed of cubes instead of flat squares and cubic polyomino puzzles may be assembled into both two dimensional as well as three dimensional puzzles. Three dimensional polyomino puzzles possess added complexity and challenge for the user. Polyomino puzzles assembled to form simple three dimensional cubic and rectangular parallelepiped shapes are described in the 1962 U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,970 to Besley, the 1989 U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,466 to Johnson, et al, the 1998 U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,533 to Edwards, the 1999 U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,388 to Wood et al, the 2001 U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,919 to Cheng, and the 2004 U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,285 to Cheng.
In addition to flat square and rectangular shapes and three-dimensional cubic and rectangular parallelepiped shapes, polyominos can be assembled into a variety of interesting three-dimensional symmetrical figures. While many unique figures can be formed, assembly of the figures is problematic. Puzzle users may have difficulty visualizing the complex figure to be formed. In addition, there is tendency for the blocks to fall during assembly. A combination of polyomino blocks and a three-dimensional support base, which aids in visualization and provides support to the blocks during assembly. A support base helps the user find multiple complex solutions to a puzzle thereby increasing the users' enjoyment of the puzzle. Upon completion of puzzle assembly the support base may be removed, revealing a structure composed entirely of polyominos.